Samsung DVD C370 (experiment as backup transport)

The Samsung C370 is definitely not a vintage hifi component.

I bought it for $39 (with remote!!!) from a local supermarket chain as an experiment to determine the viability of using a stock el-cheapo DVD player as a transport since it has SPDIF output for a DAC. Must say the choices of DVD players with SPDIF output is getting rarer nowadays. Most newer DVD players are ship with HDMI outputs instead of SPDIF or even TOS.

Samsung C370 paired to the Meridian DAC

Construction material is in the category of you get what you paid for! 

When playing a CD and shaken (not stirred!), music stops (unlike the CD650) but resumes from where it was playing from once the earthquake stops. Noise from the lens tracking mechanism can be a little distracting from about 1m away but hardly noticeable once further away. Remote is usable and handy though the information provided by the LED display on the C370 is minimal.

Initial (out from box) analogue output via RCA was louder than my Meridian DAC output, treble just a little bright, presentation just a bit larger than life but with acceptable details. Sounds surprisingly acceptable after a couple days of usage.

With the digital out to the Meridian DAC, the resultant audio is what you paid for (with a remote nevertheless!). Not in the Meridian transports league but worth consideration if the unthinkable happens and your transport becames incapacitated!!! Resolution improved after the 1st hour of usage but resultant presentation has a sort of muddleless to it.

Only good as backup transport for emergencies!!!

Pix of internals